Mysteries of the Past
by Lalalupin
Summary: Set after manga, slightly AU. "How did your parents die?" A simple question, but when all is not what is seems, who knew it would cause Roy and Riza to travel to great distances, discovering secrets older than their time... But, are some things better left in the past? Royai in later chapters Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: ****Hey, everyone! I'm back! Even long before I had finished my other FMA fan-fic, "Scarred Memories", I got the idea of this one, and I'm pretty excited about it… No idea if it's gonna be any good, but I can always hope =P So, this is my new FMA Royai fan-fic, it doesn't have anything to do with my last one. So, the story-line is this: Riza asks Roy how his parents died, but, he never wanted to find out, and so, this brings forth a motion of events that will change their lives forever, and perhaps some things are best left in the past? So, I hope you enjoy this, and please read and review!  
Enjoy! :)**

**Mysteries of the Past  
Chapter 1**

It was a typical evening at Central Headquarters. The rest of Mustang's team: Breda, Havoc, Fuery and Falman had all left for the night, leaving Roy and Riza to finish of the work that Roy had conveniently forgotten to do so many times. It had been like this frequently since the Promised Day: the entire team would finish their work before Mustang had even properly started. But, Riza noticed it was even worse today: he wasn't sleeping, like he usually did, or flirting, or joking… he wasn't doing _anything_. She glanced over at her superior officer: he was slumped across his desk, his head resting on his arm. He had changed since the Promised Day, as everyone had, but Mustang hadn't recovered like everyone else had. She put it down to the fact that he was blind for so long, and had only been at work for a few weeks. He was still struggling with everything. Yes… that was it.  
"Sir…" she said quietly, moving over to his desk. "Are you Ok?"  
Mustang lifted his head from the desk, and nodded. "Uh-huh," he said, shaking his head slightly. "Must have dozed off again…. Sorry, lieutenant," he said with a sheepish grin.  
Riza couldn't help but smile back. "That's alright, Sir," she said, saluting. She looked at the Colonel's work load, then back at her Superior Officer. "Colonel… how about we finish up now? We can go get something to eat, I think you need to be away from all this," she said.  
Roy hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, that would be nice," he looked at his trusty subordinate. "I'm sorry, Hawkeye, I just haven't been the same since the Promised Day," he said with a small frown.  
"That's alright, Sir," she said, helping him up from his chair.  
He sighed, and stood up. They walked out of the office together, and when they were outside HQ, he offered his arm to her.

They walked in silence for a while. Riza, her arm linked with Roy's, decided to break the silence they had been drowning in.  
"Sir… can I ask you something?" she asked tentatively.  
He smirked. "Sure, lieutenant," he said.  
"How did your parents die?" she asked bluntly.  
Roy stopped walking, and stared into the darkness. "What?" he whispered.  
"Oh, God, I'm sorry, Sir, I just thought, you needed to get your mind off work," she stammered, clearly seeing her superior officer was distressed.  
"Why do you want to know?" he asked, his distress quickly replaced with anger.  
"I… I was just curious. I mean… you know what happened to my parents…"  
"I don't know what happened to my parents," he said simply. "Good night, lieutenant," he said emotionlessly, walking in the direction of his apartment, and leaving Hawkeye wondering what she did wrong.

* * *

Shortly after Riza arrived home, the phone rang. She barely noticed it, as she was still thinking about what Mustang had said.  
_"I don't know what happened to my parents,"_  
Why didn't he know, though? His childhood must have been hell, wondering what happened to his mother and father who never came home.

Riza snapped from her thoughts and answered the phone.  
"Hello?" she asked.  
_"Hi, Hawkeye, I'm glad you're home…"  
_Mustang! Maybe it was time to get an explanation…  
_"Look, lieutenant, I'm really sorry about before, the question was just so unexpected. I don't know what happened to my parents-"  
_"That's ok, Sir. But…. Why don't you know?" she asked.  
_"… I never wanted to find out,"_ Roy replied after a few moments silence. _"I hated my parents, I thought they had abandoned me. And, they've been on my mind for the past week, because, well… it was the anniversary of their death on Tuesday. It's been 25 years, Hawkeye, and I never found out what happened to them. It makes me feel horrible."  
_It was now Friday, so Riza decided to hazard a guess as to why he came into work still drunk on Wednesday morning. "I'm coming around to your apartment, you obviously need to talk to someone, and I don't want to find you drunk again," she said.  
_"Look, that won't be necessary-"  
_"I'm not going to take no for an answer, Mustang, I'm coming over _right now_," she said. "I'll see you in 10 minutes, Sir," she said before hanging the phone up.

* * *

By the time Riza had made it to Roy's, it was only 7:30 in the evening. She was relieved to see him sober, and wearing clean clothes.  
"Why did you come, lieutenant?"  
"Because, I can tell when there is something wrong my superior officer. I am going to help you find out what happened to your parents, Sir," she said with a small smile.  
Mustang couldn't help but smile back. "Thank you, lieutenant," he said gratefully. "How about we go to Madame Christmas' bar?  
Hawkeye agreed. She knew that Madame Christmas was Roy's 'other mother': his father's sister and Mustang's caregiver after his parents had died. She was bound to know something, even if Roy didn't.

* * *

They took Roy's car to the bar, but Riza insisted on driving. Her superior still seemed like he had a lot on his mind, so she drove quickly. She wanted Roy to have peace-of-mind about his parents - he deserved it after all, even if he didn't originally want to find out what happened to them in the first place. They pulled up to the bar, and got out of the car. Hawkeye walked purposefully up to the door, and, as she suspected, it seemed loud and rowdy: a good place to have a private conversation. She turned around, and saw Mustang still at the car door, not moving.  
"What's wrong, Mustang?" she asked.  
He shook his head. "This was a mistake," he said. "We shouldn't be here,"  
Riza narrowed her eyes. "Come on, Sir. You need to find out what happened to them, because you're falling behind at work, and I am _sick of it_," she pulled him by the wrist, and, thankfully, he laughed, and walked with her. She was certain the humour would work for him.

Madame Christmas's face lit up as soon as she saw her adopted son.  
"Roy!" she said, walking over to him and Hawkeye.  
"Hello, Madame," he said, regaining his usual confident composure that he had lost before.  
"How have you been, Roy?" she asked. "Can I get you anything?"  
"I've been fine, Ma'am," he said with a smile.  
"And who is this lovely lady you're accompanied with tonight?" she asked.  
"I'm his subordinate," Hawkeye replied with a small smile. After all these years, this was the first time Riza had actually met Madame Christmas.  
"Well, then, you must be Lieutenant Hawkeye!" she exclaimed. "Roy has told me a lot about you," she said with a smile. "So, what can I get you?"  
Mustang shook his head. "Madame, we didn't come here for a drink…." He said quietly. "I… I want to know what happened to my parents," he didn't make eye contact with Madame Christmas or Riza, instead, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor.  
"I thought you would ask eventually," she said, her happy mood had disappeared completely. "I think you two should have a seat," she led them over to the bar, and sat them down. 'Roy… I'm so sorry," she said, looking at her brother's son. "Your parents were murdered. "  
Roy's eyes widened. He slammed his fist on the bar, and left without another word.

**A/U: ****Soooooo…. That's the first chapter of my new fan-fic. Please, please review! Because I really want to know what you guys think. I put a lot of thought into this, but I'm not sure if I like the outcome just yet. It will get better in later chapters though! So, thanks for reading, and I do hope you enjoyed it, and R&R! :) **


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: ****Thanks to the people who reviewed, favourited and story alerted my story. You're support really helps. As for the reviews, I just want to say a big thanks to Eternidad1 for being my first reviewer :)  
And also, to Draconic: thanks for the tip; I hope you find my new layout a little easier to read.  
And GiEricka: Thanks for the reminder on the fact that Mustang was promoted General: I obviously forgot xD But, I will probably put it in the story, so he will get promoted! Yay for Mustang! :D  
Thanks again, everyone, and enjoy the next chapter! **

**Chapter 2  
**_"Roy… I'm so sorry, but your parents were murdered,"_ the same words continued to circle around Mustang's head. It was impossible. Who the hell would want to murder his parents? They had just been normal civilians…. His parents, the kindest people of his childhood.

Why had he turned his back on them all those years ago? Roy had long left the bar, and had begun walking aimlessly down the street. He was blind again, oblivious to everything around him. He collapsed on to the first bench he came across, and for the first time since Maes Hughes had died, Roy Mustang cried.

* * *

Back at Madame Christmas's bar, the hostess and Riza were sitting in a silence with worried frowns plastered on both their faces. After a few minutes, Riza spoke up.  
"I should go look for him," she said, slowly standing up. "He probably wants to be alone right now, but I don't really think he should be," she looked at Madame Christmas. "I can bring him back here, if you like," she offered. "I think it'll help if you talk to him,"

"Knowing Roy, he'll want to just think things over, Lieutenant," she said with a small, sad smile. She was silent for a few more moments. "Bring him over tomorrow morning, just let him sleep on it,"

Riza nodded. "Yes Ma'am," she said. "I'll watch over him tonight, and bring him back in the morning,"

"Thank you, lieutenant," the woman said with a weary smile.

Riza smiled also, and she turned to leave.

"And Lieutenant," Chris Mustang called. "Thank you for taking care of my son," she said.

Riza nodded, and left.

Now… where the hell had her Superior Officer gone to?

* * *

Mustang was still sitting on the park bench, his face buried in his hands. From a distance, the only evidence to the fact that he was silently sobbing was his shuddering shoulders. His head shot up when he heard a twig crack near him. Looking around cautiously, he soon made eye-contact with Riza. Since it was quite dark where he was sitting, and Riza was still a small distance away, he quickly wiped his eyes. He didn't want her to know he had been crying.

It had taken Riza almost an hour to find where her Superior Officer had gone. After each minute had passed, she continued to worry about his whereabouts, and if she would find him sober. She released a huge sigh of relief when she first saw Mustang, and pretended not to see him wiping the tears from his face before walking over to him.

"Hello, sir," she said quietly.

Mustang didn't say anything.

"Look, Colonel, I know you're upset, but we're going to find out what happened to your parents," Riza said. She sat down and looked at him. "I _promise _sir," she added.

He looked back at his subordinate. "I… I just feel terrible, Lieutenant," he said quietly. He knew, of all people, nobody would understand him as well as Hawkeye did. "If I had known earlier… I could have found out what had happened to my parents, maybe even found the killer," his sorrow turned to anger, and he jumped up from the bench. "That bastard!" he screamed into the night. But, as quickly as the anger came, it just as quickly ebbed away, and he was on the verge of tears again.

Riza noticed this, and sat quietly as the sobs racked her Superior Officers body. She felt so helpless, wishing she knew what she could do to help him out. Roy was kneeling in the grass, and Riza walked over quietly and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, Sir," she said quietly. "I'm going to take you home. We're going to go back to the bar tomorrow morning, and we'll sort this all out," when he didn't reply, Riza changed her tone. "We _will_find out what happened to them, ok, sir?" she said harshly.

Finally, Roy responded with a small tilt of his head. He let Riza help him up, and she led him to the car. She was so glad now that she had decided to drive while looking for Mustang, rather than walk, as it would have been impossible to carry both her weight and his for the distance they had both walked. Mustang barely lifted his feet, and let Riza drag him to his car.

She had already decided while looking for Mustang that she would stay over at Roy's with him and keep an eye on him. The next few days would definitely go smoother if her Superior Officer was sober. But, to keep the Colonel's pride in-tact, she decided not to tell him.

They were both silent on the way to his house. Roy was staring emotionlessly out the window, and Riza kept her eyes on the road ahead. It was going to be a long few days.

They finally arrived. Roy opened his door and left without another word, walking briskly up to his small apartment, Riza following behind him.  
When they got inside, he was a completely changed man. If Riza hadn't known him as long as she had, she wouldn't have even suspected that he had been an emotional wreck just moments before. The man standing in front of her was now calm and collected, and looked determined as hell.

He cleared his throat. "Thank you, lieutenant," he said. "I will be going to bed now," he said.

She nodded. "And I'll be here, if you want to speak to someone,"

Roy stopped in his tracks. "Huh?" he said. "Why are you staying?" he asked.

"Because, if I don't, Sir, with all respect, you won't be going to Madame Christmas' bar sober tomorrow," she said simply.

Roy smirked, and ran his hand through his dark hair. "Fine, you can stay,"

"I wasn't aware I needed your permission, sir. I was going to stay either way," she said.

Roy laughed slightly. "Ok, lieutenant," he said, walking the other way. "You'll find some blankets in the cupboard down the hall," he said, pointing in the direction. "_Now_, I'm going to bed. Good night, Lieutenant," he said.

"Good night, sir," she replied. She sat down on the couch, and relief seeped through her. At the moment, Mustang seemed fine, he even laughed a little. She wasn't too worried about his well-being just then: she was there; she would stop him from doing anything irrational and stupid. She smiled to herself, lay down on the couch, and, still fully clothed, fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Roy and Riza woke at the same time, both very surprised that they had both gotten sufficient amounts of sleep. Roy seemed fine, slightly distant, but his mask didn't fool Riza. She knew what was going behind it: her Superior was fighting a War within itself. For some people, t would've seemed ridiculous, the fact that he was getting so worked up about parents who died so many years ago. But Riza had been through the exact same thing: both her parents were dead before she was twenty. And she knew Mustang: he was loyal and determined. He would find out what happened to his parents. She knew he would.

They sat in silence for most of the morning, only leaving in the same silence when it was 9:30. When they got outside, an officer greeted them, which was very unexpected.  
"How can we help you?" Mustang asked.

The young officer was very fidgety. "I have a message from the higher-ups, Colonel Mustang," he said excitedly.

"Well, what is it?" he asked.

"Congratulations, Sir, you're going to be promoted to General for your contribution on the Promised Day," the young officer said with a large smile.

A smile crept onto the Colonel's face. "General, eh?" he asked. "I could get used to that," he faced the young officer who had bought the message. "Thank you," he said simply.

The officer, understanding he had been dismissed, saluted to the two higher ranking officers before him, and sprinted down the street.

"Congratulations, Sir," she said with a smile.

Roy faced his subordinate. "Come on, Lieutenant," he said. "We're going to find out what happened to my parents," he said, determination etched onto his face.

**A/N:**** Soooo, apologies if this is taking a while to get into, but I have some really good ideas for later chapters, so stick around! I hoped you enjoyed reading chapter 2! Please review! Thanks! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: ****Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews, favourites, alerts! Thanks to all my reviewers: Eternidad1 (also, you guys should totally check out her story called Veritas, it's awesome :D ), Draconic, PokemonFreak90, Hunger-Games12 and Tigrette-of-Fire. Thanks, the support really helps! And sorry I haven't updated for a couple of weeks, I haven't had any time or motivation… already . but I will try to update frequently after this chapter. Enjoy the next chapter! :) **

**Chapter 3**

Meeting with Chris Mustang the second time didn't uncover any more evidence or information on the murder of the Mustang's. Everyone knew that the kind couple had been murdered.

No-one knew who had murdered them though.

Almost a week had passed since Riza and Roy went to visit Chris Mustang for the second time, but they uncovered nothing else. Madame Christmas knew only what everyone else had been told. Riza knew Roy would take the news badly, and, as she suspected, the past week had gone by in a blur with her keeping her promise and helping Mustang uncover the truth. In the past week, they had uncovered nothing else, and on top of office work, both Roy and Riza were struggling to keep up with the work load. Most days they would finish up at HQ rather early, then head out to the library. There were a large quantity of libraries in Central alone, and Mustang definitely abused his authority, using his rank to get access into most places, and flirting with the younger librarians to get into places he wasn't generally allowed in.

Riza always watched from a distance; always staying behind him, pained she could do no more to help her superior. From anyone else's perspective, Mustang would've been perceived as his normal self: a slack, womanising officer. But his lieutenant could see past the mask he had put up. She knew that Mustang was still fighting a war inside him, knew he still blamed himself for everything, and she knew that he definitely did not want to be flirting with librarians just then.

This was another typical day. It was about 5:00 in the evening, and Roy and Riza had driven to the main library in Central: so large, that this was the only place they had been searching for the past week. They had looked almost everywhere through those seven days of searching, and had still found nothing: nothing about the Mustang's, where they came from, who they were… there weren't even old news articles about the couple's murder.

It was almost like everything about them had been erased.

Roy had just been 'wooing' a young librarian, and with plans for a dinner date, she had given them access to all the old archives. Roy thanked the woman, in her mid-twenties, and walked in the direction of the archives room, with Riza following a few steps behind. She noticed her commanding officer's face: emotionless and set in stone.  
"Are you alright, sir?" she asked.

"Yes, lieutenant, I'm fine," he replied simply.

She could see the dark bags under his eyes, knew he hadn't been eating regularly. "You need to be careful, sir," she advised. "You look terrible," she said, very bluntly.

To her surprise, for the first time in about a week, the colonel smiled. Well, smirked would be a better word for it. "Well, you look just as bad, lieutenant," he replied.

She shook her head, smiling. "Where are we going to look first, sir?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Any ideas, lieutenant? he replied.

She shook her head, confused at the fact that they still hadn't found _anything_ about her superior officer's parents. It was… strange.

They entered the archival room, and started searching for a few minutes.

Roy groaned, and ran a hand through his messy, untamed hair. "Why can't we find _anything_ lieutenant?" he moaned.

"I don't know, sir," she said. She closed her eyes. There had to be an explanation… "What were their names?" she asked, realising that, after all these years she had known Mustang, she had no idea what his parent's names were.

"My parents?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes," she said.

He smiled. "My father, his name was James. He was from Amestris. And my mother, her name was Brianna, and she was from Xing. My father was an alchemist, like me, and he had been travelling the world. When he was exploring Xing, he met my mother. He used to tell me the story about how they met every night I couldn't get to sleep. About how she was the most beautiful woman in existence…" his voice trailed off. "Sorry," he said quietly, realising Riza had only asked for their names.

"You have nothing to apologise for, Sir," she said quietly. "How did your parents meet?" she asked.

Roy's face lit up slightly. "My father, he was terrible at listening to instructions, like me, I suppose," he said, and they both laughed. "Well, anyway, dad had gotten lost when he first arrived in Xing. He was young, and pretty stupid, and he didn't know where to go. So, he had been walking through the backstreets of Xing, the real slum areas, and it was getting dark. He was hungry, and cold, and he found himself complaining to himself as he walked. He didn't really pay attention to where he was going, and soon he was in this really crowded area, I think he said it was a night market. And he accidently walked into someone."

"And that was your mother?" Riza asked.

Roy smiled. "Yeah," he said. "My dad walked into my mum, a real gentleman, just like he was. He was really apologetic, and to make up for it, he bought her dinner. He told me it was love at first sight, but being a 10 year old boy, I thought it was gross and stupid," he chuckled. "So, my dad fell in love with Brianna, and he cancelled the rest of his trip, to be with her. They got married in Xing, and moved back here, when they found out they were expecting… me," he said.

Riza smiled. "That was a lovely story, sir," she said quietly.

He smiled back. "Yeah," he agreed. "I just wish I had paid more attention to everything they had said when they were still alive. Maybe I wouldn't have made so many mistakes then, like losing the people I care about," he said sadly.

Riza sighed, knowing he wasn't talking about losing his parents, but about losing Maes Hughes, then almost losing her, too. "Sir, I'm sure your parents are so proud of you," he turned to look at her, "You've accomplished so much, and you haven't lost everyone you care about, and the people that care about you, they will always be with you. If I were your parents, I would be the proudest person ever, seeing what my son has accomplished,"

Roy smiled. "And you will stay, lieutenant?"

"I will follow you to the depths of hell if I have to, Sir," she replied, just as she had told him those years ago when she first joined the military. "And I know you already know that,"

"Thank you, lieutenant," he said, the meaning of what he said going farther than his words. He stepped closer to Riza, so there was only a small amount of space between them.

She bobbed her head slightly. "Now, come on, sir, I think we should continue searching," she said, refusing to look up at her superior, especially when he was so close. _He's just grieving_, she thought, trying to search for an explanation for the moment before. _I'm sure he didn't notice how close he was standing…_

They went to separate areas of the archive section of the library. Riza was looking through old newspapers, dating as far back as early last century. She rifled through the old clippings, while Roy went at his own pace, looking through old alchemy records. Finally, after almost a week of searching, there was a breakthrough. Riza picked up an old, yellowed newspaper article dated at the 10th of May, 1872. The caption said: _unknown alchemist from small town assists crazed alchemist_. Riza looked at the newspaper. It was from her home-town. The photo was of James Mustang… and Berthold Hawkeye.

**A/N: ****Dun, dun, duuuuuuun…. :D first big twist out of many that'll come out of this story… thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and apologies again that it took me longer to get out, especially since it **_**is**_** just a filler chapter… Also, thanks to Eternidad1, for giving me the name ideas for Mustang's parents' names: it was very appreciated! :D Well, keep a look out, coz I should be updating again soon, and reviews are appreciated! :) **


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: ****Hey guys :D Sorry I haven't updated in ages, I had exams and I've had to study . but exams are over now! (yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!) But then I couldn't decide how to write this chapter, but I think I have an idea, so sorry again, and enjoy :) **

**Chapter 4**

Riza tried not to scream. This article… why hadn't anyone told her? She took a deep breath, tried to stay calm. "Colonel!" she called, trying to keep her voice even, despite the fear and shock she felt. She took a deep breath, and when Mustang didn't come, she tried again.  
"Mustang!" she called again, this time a little more agitated.

Despite being labelled 'archives', the archival room was _huge_, which was quite unsurprising, considering the size the library was.

Mustang, being engrossed in an alchemy book, didn't hear Riza when she first called his name. The second time, though, Roy dropped the book and ran to where Riza's voice was coming from. "What's wrong?" he said, a little too harshly, especially regretting his tone after seeing his lieutenant's face.

Riza, pale from shock, shook her head, and handed her superior the article. "Here," she said simply.

Roy looked at her, then slowly took the article. "What the hell….."

Riza nodded. "You had no idea either, then?" she asked.

"Shit, no," he replied. "I just mean…. Holy crap, why did no one ever _tell_ me?" his brow furrowed. "I just…. Don't get it," he said.

Riza shook her head. It didn't make sense. None of it did. "What do you suppose we do?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I guess we could talk to Madame Christmas again," he said slowly. "But I doubt she can help us very much. I mean…. _Surely_ she would've told me about this if she knew," he seemed to be reassuring himself more than talking directly to Hawkeye.

She nodded slowly. "Ok," she said. "Let's go," it was their first lead, and she was determined to keep an eye on Mustang.

"Yeah," he said, slightly reluctantly. "Yeah, let's go," he folded up the article, put it in his pocket, and walked out the door, closely followed by Hawkeye.

* * *

Madame Christmas didn't look surprised to see Mustang and Hawkeye when they walked through her bar door for the umpteenth time that week. She served a customer, then beckoned them to sit down at two barstools in front of the bar. "So…. I take it you found something, then?" she asked, her voice barely audible over the din in the bar.

Roy nodded, then looked at Hawkeye. She nodded back at him, as though she was reassuring him.  
"Well, you see…." He looked down at his feet. "We…. we found this in the archives," he said, handing the article to Madame Christmas.

She looked at the photo and sighed. "I was afraid this was going to happen," she said sadly.

"What do you mean?" Roy asked.

She looked him in the eye. "Berthold Hawkeye and your father were good friends, kid," she said.

Roy clenched his fists, and Riza looked down sadly. "You mean… you _knew_ about this?" he asked.

She nodded. "Unfortunately. But I didn't know you were going to _find_ it!" she insisted. "We did it for your own good. Before your father died, we both agreed that you were to never meet Berthold Hawkeye,"

"But then… my father died. And I _did_ meet him," Roy said, piecing the story together. "Why, though?" he asked.

"They both went way over their heads, got into a lot of trouble. When Hawkeye found out my brother had a son, he wanted to teach him alchemy, but that was what screwed them over. Your father didn't intend for you to learn alchemy, but Hawkeye… he wanted you to. He didn't want to teach his own daughter," she nodded toward Riza. "So, instead, he set his sights on you."

"Are you saying…. There's a chance my lieutenant's father might have something to do with my parents murder?" Roy asked.

"I'm not sure, Roy," Madame Christmas said. "It could've been part of something a lot bigger. But, I think it might be a possibility."

This time, Riza stood up from her barstool and stormed outside.

"Shit," Roy muttered. He turned back toward his surrogate mother. "I'll talk to you later, Madame," he said with a hint of spite, still slightly angry that all this had been kept from him.

She nodded, and he ran out the door.

"Hawkeye!" he yelled, looking down both sides of the street, but not seeing any sign of her. He swore to himself, and took off down the street. It was late at night, and he didn't doubt that she could take care of herself, but he still felt partially responsible for her. He ran to his car, and jumped in. "Where did you go, lieutenant?' he muttered to himself. He had his hands on the steering wheel, not knowing which way to go. He thought back. They had known each other for too long… he turned the ignition and drove toward the park, only a few minutes away from Madame Christmas' bar, and where Roy himself went too when he needed to think.

* * *

He found her sitting on the park bench, staring out to the lake. "It's beautiful at this time of night," she murmured.

He sighed, and she turned to face him. "It's not your fault, Hawkeye," he said. "You and your father… you were two completely different people,"

She shook her head sadly. "I thought I knew my own father, Sir," she said. "But it turns out… he was everything I feared. And now, my father, the man I share my blood with… he ruined _your_ family," she turned her back to him, looking out to the horizon again. "_Why_, though?" she said to herself.

Roy sat next to her, and put his hand over hers, clutching her fingers slightly. "I don't know, but we can stop, if you want. I don't expect you to follow me this time,"

She clenched her hands. "Don't… don't say that," she said, shaking her head. "I made a promise to you, and I… I'm gonna help you," she said, looking at their hands, then up to his face.

He shook his head. "In that case… I'll stop looking, then," he said.

Her eyes widened in anger. "Why? Because _I_ can't handle it?" she asked.

He ran a hand through his hair. "No, I just… I don't want to see you get hurt."

She smiled slightly. "That's why you interested me so much when we were younger, Mustang," she said. "You always looked out for others first. No matter what. No… if you're going to do this, then I'm doing it with you. This is going to hurt you more than it'll hurt me, and I think we're going to need each other for that."

He tightened his grip on her hand. "You sure?" he asked. "I mean, what if…" he couldn't bring himself to say it, but she knew what he was talking about.

"What if my father did kill you parents?" she asked.

He nodded sadly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," he said quickly.

She ignored him. "If my father did kill your parents, then I will be responsible for his actions. But, no matter what, we're going to get to the bottom of this."

He nodded. "Thank you," he said. "For everything," she looked up at him, searching his eyes for an explanation. "I don't thank you enough, lieutenant. You've done so much for me, and all I've done is take advantage of it,"

She smiled. "It's my job, Sir," she said.

"No, you don't get it. It's not part of your job to comfort me when I'm grieving, or having second thoughts. It's not your job to take me home at ridiculous hours when I'm drunk out of my mind. And still… you do it. Why?" he asked.

She shrugged. "You would do the same for me too, I guess," she said.

He nodded. "Yeah, ok…"

"So, what's our next move?" she asked, deliberately changing the subject.

He shrugged. "Dunno. But… I'm guessing you have an idea?"

She nodded. "But I'm not sure either of us are going to like it," she said, holding his fingers tightly.

He nodded. "Yeah. I think I know what you mean,"

"Do you think it's a good idea?" she asked uncertainly. "I haven't been home since my father died. Do you really think we're going to find anything?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. But this is your choice. If you don't want to come, then I understand,"

"I _already told you_, that I'm seeing this through with you."

"He nodded. "You don't think… we couldn't go to my hometown too?" he asked. "I mean, we might find something, and it's on the way,"

She nodded. "You don't need to ask, you know. I follow you. You don't follow me."

They both stood up, their fingers still entwined in each other's.

"So…. I guess we're going home, then," Roy said.

"Yeah… I guess we are."

Though neither of them said it, they could both feel how nervous the other person felt.

**A/N: ****Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it :) Please review! And sorry again that it took me ages to update! . But I think I will be writing chapters a lot quicker now, because I know what I'm writing… Thanks again! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: ****Heeeey guys :D Just wanna say thanks for your reviews, favourites, alerts from the last chapter, they really help when I want to write! Sorry for yet another delay, though -_- I was going to update earlier, but then I left the country for about a week. Theeeen, I had my end of year externals that I had to prepare for. And Christmas time is a very busy time. And I'll admit, I was kinda lazy. I apologise again. But now that's all out of the way, so hopefully I can deliver a few more chapters over the next few weeks. Enjoy! :) **

**Disclaimer: ****If I created a manga this awesome that inspired two anime series, would I really be writing fanfiction? No, probably not.**

**Chapter 5**

Both Mustang and Hawkeye decided to take their holiday leave so they could both travel and "go back home." Both were uneasy about going back, because, much like the Elrics, they had also turned their backs on their childhood homes. They didn't tell the team too much though, didn't want the story getting out too far. Roy understood. He knew Riza blamed herself for his parents' deaths, knew she was so ashamed of what her father may have done. It was always useful when your grandfather was the leader of the country, giving both Riza and Roy a sufficient amount of leave to pursue what they had found. He didn't question their actions, as he knew what it was like 'to not know'. Not the exact same situation, but he understood Roy's pain, and Riza's too. He also secretly hoped they would finally figure out their feelings for each other.

They boarded the train early morning, four days after they decided to go on what they thought was an absurd quest. Of course, both Mustang and Hawkeye were nervous beyond belief, and though, understandably, they hadn't shared these feelings with one another, they could still feel the nervous vibe from each other.

Havoc, Breda and Fuery all came to the train station to see them off, and Fuery had been left to care for Hayate, who was sitting beside the group. The three men were oblivious to the real reasons to why Hawkeye and Mustang were leaving, having been told that they were looking for some answers into their families, but not the fact that they suspected Berthold Hawkeye of killing the Mustangs.

The weather that morning was beautiful, with a blue, cloudless sky that hinted summer was on its way. Mustang and Hawkeye smiled and waved goodbye to the rest of their team, happy in some way that someone had come to see them off. Once the train had left the station though, they sat opposite each other, both gazing out the window, covered in a shroud of uncomfortable silence and unanswered questions.

For Mustang, it was the fact that, the night before, he had gone to see his surrogate mother at her bar, telling her that he and Hawkeye were leaving to get some answers. Rather than being happy for him, proud that he was finally being man enough to find justice, she disagreed with his actions.

"Don't you think that's dangerous, Roy?" she had asked him sceptically.

"Why? Isn't it a good thing that I'm finally accepting what happened to my parents, and I want to do something about it? Why don't you agree?"

"What about Hawkeye? What if it turns out her father really _did_ kill your parents? What will you both do then? I know you'll deny that you both have feelings for each other, but you can't put her through this."

He shook his head, angry that she didn't support him. "Madame," he started slowly. "I've known Hawkeye for half my life. And I know… she can handle this. If not… I'll be there for her," his eyes flashed with something she had seen many times before: determination. She knew there was no stopping him, not now, not ever.

She shook her head in defeat. "Don't say I didn't warn you, Roy," she said.

He nodded. "I know. But I have to do this," after that he turned to leave, not looking over his shoulder, not knowing when he would be back.

As for Hawkeye, she was scared. Of course, she would never admit it, especially not to Mustang, but she was afraid. Saying that, admitting it to herself, helped her slightly to get over the irrational fear. Without realising it, Riza closed her eyes, and fell into a restless sleep.

Roy didn't know how long they had been in the train for, but he knew it would be at least a few more hours until they reached his hometown: a little speck on the map that no-one knew the name of. Even Mustang had forgotten the name. Their compartment had been silent for the entire trip, both Mustang and Hawkeye stuck in their own thoughts. After a couple of hours, he heard Riza's breathing become slower, and steadier. She was asleep. He smiled slightly at her sleeping form, head resting against the glass, feet tucked up under her. But, even as she slept she looked… troubled. He frowned, looking out the window again. Dusk was coming in. Impulsively, he shed his trench coat and draped it over her carefully, as not to wake her. She burrowed her face into the coat, and he could've sworn she inhaled slightly, catching his scent on it. But, she still didn't open her eyes, though, he couldn't tell because only the top of her blonde head was now visible. Still standing over her, he impulsively kissed her lightly on the top of her head, her hand lingering on her soft hair for a few more moments.

Now, to sleep….

* * *

When she woke up a few hours later, it was dark outside, and the train was still travelling through vast expanses of countryside. She tightened her hold on Roy's jacket, grateful for the warmth, but she would never thank him for it. That was one of their rules. All of their affection was supposedly never noticed by the other person, although they both clung onto those memories like their lives depended on it. But, she would never tell him she was awake when he had draped the coat over him, or when he kissed her on the head. She would remember it, though. Like everything else he had done for her, she would always remember it.

From the map at the train station, she figured they were about halfway to Mustang's hometown. The town he had forgotten the name of, and probably most things about it, because, that was Roy Mustang, and he forgot things that hurt him. She thought back on how long they had known each other, and how much he had seemingly forgotten; he either refused to talk about it, even to her, or drowned his sorrows in alcohol.

Especially lately. Ever since the Promised Day, he had been more withdrawn from his team, quiet, never doing much, other than sleeping, and drinking. He had been drinking alcohol a lot more than usual. That day had changed them all, but not as much as it had changed her Colonel. Everything was coming back to him, too, with his promotion to general coming up. She gazed at him, startled to see him staring at her in return.

"Go back to sleep, Hawkeye," he said softly.

She shook her head. "We have to talk, Mustang," she replied.

He raised an eyebrow. "What about?" he asked.

"The Promised Day," she looked at him. "I know, you don't like to talk about it, but it _changed_ you, and I know I'm not the only one worried about you," she said quickly.

He shook his head. "Sometimes… I close my eyes, and I'm back there, at the gate, and then, I have to open my eyes again, just to make sure I can see again," he whispered, looking down into his hands. "And sometimes, you're there, too, bleeding to death, and there's nothing I can do," he gazed at her, and she had to fight down the urge to hug him, then and there, to tell him everything was going to be ok, that she had been having nightmares since it too.

She choked back tears. "Sir, I'm sorry," she said. "I am so, _so_ sorry,"

He looked at her, and a pained expression came over his face when he saw her tears. "Come on, don't cry," he said, standing up. He reached down, and pulled her to her feet, and into him, holding her tightly. The tears came from both of them, the frustration, the sadness, the fear, the self-loathing for their own weakness at this point, and the pity for the other person. And suddenly she was a teenager again, and Roy was comforting her like he had done so many times before they both decided they had to stand alone.

She didn't know how long they had been standing for, but eventually, Roy sat down, and she let herself be pulled down by him, and was in his arms once again. She considered protesting, and telling him that what they were doing was against military policy, but she was too tired to care, and appreciated the comfort. Eventually, the both fell asleep.

* * *

Hours later, the train stopped, waking Mustang, and in turn, waking a very different Hawkeye; one that allowed herself to fall asleep in his arms. He looked down at her and smiled. "Mooorning," he drawled.

Instead of smiling back, she scowled slightly, and pushed herself up to her feet.

Trying to fight disappointment, he realised she was just his subordinate again, and they would never talk about what had happened last night.

"Come on, Sir, we're here," she said to him, reaching up to the compartments above the seats to retrieve their luggage.

He stood beside her, and carefully pushed her aside. "It's ok, Hawkeye, I'll get it," he told her.

She nodded, and left the compartment, waiting for him in the hallway. They exited the train together, with Hawkeye holding her own luggage, after scolding Mustang for taking it for her. It was stupid, she knew, but she realised that, ever since they had started this journey together, they had gotten a lot closer, and she had allowed walls inside of her to fall down. Their relationship was fast turning into a very unprofessional one, and that scared her.

Although Mustang had forgotten the name of the place, she knew what it was, needing to buy the train tickets for themselves.

"Welcome to Morningside," he read aloud. "Why Morningside? That's a ridiculous name," Mustang began to ramble on to himself, and Hawkeye let him, knowing that, beyond the sarcasm, her superior had turned into his 10 year old self again.

"C'mon Hawkeye," he said, coming up behind her and picking up his own suitcase. He was grateful they were both wearing civilian clothing, and not their military uniforms. If there was one thing Mustang remembered about his childhood in this town was that it was a close-knit community, and nobody respected the military.

His memories of the place were still very vivid, even after 25 years had passed. If his life had been different, Mustang wouldn't have protested to settling down here, and starting a family. Perhaps even with the woman who had accompanied him. Mustang banished that thought before it had even formed completely in his head.

"Sir, with all respect, do you know where we're going?" Hawkeye asked sceptically.

He shook his head, but smiled slightly. "Yes, lieutenant. Believe it or not, I _do_, in fact know where I'm going," he replied.

"Yes, sir,"

A few minutes later, they had arrived at a corner store, and Mustang's eyes roamed over the features of the place, as he remembered the times when his mother used to work there on weekends. The days when he and his father would sometimes go fishing. He smiled fondly at the memory, but they had obviously been standing there too long when the shop keeper came out. Mustang recognised her instantly, even if she had aged over the years.

The woman looked like she had seen a ghost. "Can I help you?" she asked slowly.

Mustang tried to smile, but it turned into a grimace. "I was wondering if you could direct me to the old Mustang residence," he said kindly.

"I thought I recognised you, young man," the woman replied warmly. "You definitely aren't a child any more, but there's no doubting you're a Mustang. Welcome back, boy,"

He nodded his head in gratitude.

"What brings you back?" the older woman asked.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I've come to find out about my parents' deaths," he replied.

She nodded. "And who is this lady accompanying you?"

Hawkeye stepped forward, but before she could answer, the woman spoke again.

"Riza?" she said quietly.

Hawkeye nodded, visibly confused. Mustang put his hand on her shoulder, gripping it lightly. He had just realised the similarities between the two women, but it couldn't be….

"I think you two should come inside," the older Hawkeye said.

**A/N: ****Again I must apologise for the delay, I had most of this chapter written up a few weeks ago, but had trouble writing the ending. Originally, the shopkeeper was just going to be someone random, but I had this urge to make the connections between Hawkeye and Mustang go back further than they realised. Liked it? Didn't? Please tell me either way, I would love to know! Thanks for reading :) New chapter up soon hopefully **


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